European FAs withdraw support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino
Scottish Football Association urged to follow England and Wales in dropping endorsement ahead of March congress
MediaBias Comparison Desk
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised
This article was written at the MediaBias News desk from the one-paragraph digests an aggregator publishes for each of the outlets listed below it, together with 2 of those outlets' own reports read in full. How we do it
European nations including England and Wales have withdrawn their support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino, pictured (Sam Corum/PA)
Photograph: The Herald Scotland (embedded from source)
What this story says
- England and Wales withdrew support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino after plans to sell minority stakes in FIFA Forward Enterprises, valued at $20bn, to private equity.
- Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Eternal was expected to acquire around 20% of FIFA Forward Enterprises, as reported by The Herald Scotland.
- The Scottish Football Association has not publicly withdrawn support for Infantino, despite calls from SNP MSP Jack Middleton to do so.
- Mike Mulraney, SFA president, chairs FIFA’s Finance Committee, as stated in The Herald Scotland’s report.
England and Wales withdrew their support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino in response to plans to sell minority stakes in FIFA Forward Enterprises, a company valued at $20bn. The entity was to retain majority control of FIFA’s commercial and operational rights, including the World Cup and Women’s World Cup, but private equity firms would acquire minority shares. Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Eternal was expected to purchase around 20% of the company, according to The Herald Scotland.
The withdrawals follow criticism of Infantino’s leadership, particularly over the proposed sale. Serbia and Finland also withdrew support, while South American football associations were considering similar action. The Scottish Football Association (SFA) had not publicly commented on its stance as of the report. Mike Mulraney, SFA president, serves as chair of FIFA’s Finance Committee.
SNP MSP Jack Middleton called on the SFA to withdraw its support for Infantino, describing him as a "clown" and accusing him of attempting to sell football’s commercial rights for personal gain. Middleton urged the SFA to "cut the dithering" and follow the example set by England and Wales, as reported by The Herald Scotland.
What the coverage left out
No centre- or right-rated reports ran this story. The omission is a finding: the story was not covered by outlets outside the left-rated sample provided.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
- The Herald Scotland led on the pressure directed at the Scottish Football Association to withdraw support for Gianni Infantino. The report quoted SNP MSP Jack Middleton calling Infantino a "clown" and a "stain on the game", and urged the SFA to "cut the dithering". It named England, Wales, Serbia and Finland as having already withdrawn support, and noted that South American associations were considering doing the same.
- The report included the valuation of FIFA Forward Enterprises at $20bn and the expected 20% stake acquisition by Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Eternal. It also highlighted Mike Mulraney’s role as chair of FIFA’s Finance Committee, framing the SFA’s silence as a point of contention. The headline, "SFA told to 'stop dithering' and withdraw support for Gianni Infantino", reflected the emphasis on the SFA’s position.
Centre
We hold no leaning breakdown for this story, so there is nothing to report about the centre.
Right
We hold no leaning breakdown for this story, so there is nothing to report about the right.
Read it at the source
1 outlet, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
1Centre
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Right
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Not rated
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
How did this read?
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